Ahhh creativity hasn't left after all.

After a loooooooonnnnng break from sewing (well for me lately anyway) I started a dress for Big Miss A last night - a shirred sun dress using Heather Ross's Mermaid fabric - pink of course. It didn't go well. I'm sure I can come back to it another time, but for now it's sitting on my desk upstairs abandoned. Big Miss A wasn't at all into it - which I'm sure had something to do with the fact that it wasn't working. Right.

I went back upstairs this morning determined find the dress in the fabric, but it still wasn't working when I happened to look over and see a certain skirt that I'd been holding on to. The kind of skirt that has potential, just not as a skirt - and not for me. This skirt was meant to be a little girl dress.

Unfortunately most times when the creative repurposing urge hits I don't have my camera handy. My eyes glaze over and there's no way I'm breakin the flow to go get it. (I really ought to bring it up there with me, but it's a little late now) So there's no shot of the original skirt. There aren't any cute shots of my process of transformation either. It wasn't cute actually - it was me being lazy and just serging off edges until I got the right basic shape ;) Today was not a technical sort of sewing mood. It was more of an "I've not sewn a thing in months and I'm going to turn this into a dress right now dammit!" kind of mood.

Lucky for me it worked. Miss Big A who can be quite critical of my sewing and knitting (remember that gorgeous fairy dress? Yeah - she hates it. It's not pink. It does technically have some pink on it, but in her world it's not pink *enough*. Maybe in a year or 2 she'll decide she likes it - that's often what happens. In the mean time it hangs in her closet looking kind of sad that no one ever wears it (really - the dress does feel sad - not me - I'm not the least bit attached to her wearing it - I'm so over it ;) ) Really I am for the most part ok with it. I know it will get worn eventually by someone ;) In the mean time little miss has a grand time every day choosing what to wear (or not wear ) and most days she comes up with what is according to her "a perfect outfit" (yes she has a teenage sister :) ) All the power to her :)

Ironically enough today's dress doesn't have a speck of pink on it. It does however happen to come already adorned with sequins :) (And i didn't object to the invisible zipper that just happened to be in exactly the right place either ;) )

The top of the skirt is now the top of the dress.

I used the underskirt to make the straps. I also gathered the front part of the strap - because it just looked like it wanted to be gathered ;)

I even had 2 perfectly matchy oyster shell buttons that jumped up and asked to please be a part of this dress - really :)

And the best part?

She *loves* it.

I know this, because any item of clothing that she is currently loving gets stashed in the corner

by her bed at night when she gets into her pjs to make sure I don't try to wash it while she's sleeping.

The dirtier the object of clothing the greater the love - and the sneakier mom has to be to get it in the wash.

a goal of sorts

Our family has been gluten-free now for 3+ years. I've slowly but surely figured out how to bake most things, but pie crust has been something I've avoided.

I learned how to make pie crust watching my Grandma bake many many pies while I was growing up. She was a master of the pie crust. Made it by feel - perfect every time. I was ever so proud when the day came that I felt I had it down. Even prouder when I was able to make a really good whole grain crust.

When we got our entero lab test results back and decided to cut out gluten completely, I mourned the loss of the the pie crust. I'm fairly certain that one was the thing I had the hardest time with. SO many memories associated with it.

It's time now. Time to master the gluten-free pie crust. I'm going to be making lots of pies for a while ;)

Today is my first attempt in quite a long time. I'm *very* loosely using Melody's crust. Technically it's no longer anything resembling her recipe. I was really glad for a starting place tho - one of these days I'll actually make it using all the right ingredients ;) one thing that I did differently (which I may regret) is that I used lard. Not just any lard, but lard from pigs that were grown right here on our land by us. Lard that we rendered in the oven. When pigs are pastured the fat has a high vitamin D content - a definite bonus from where I'm sitting.

Strawberry, rhubarb, apple :)

Good help is hard to find....

This little munchkin fits the bill quite nicely tho if I do say so myself ;)

And yes - she's grating carrot all over her lap and onto the floor, but that's perfectly ok.

As far as she's concerned she just had a very important part in making a carrot cake with me - despite the fact that she didn't decided to grate the carrot until after the cake was in the oven.

Really tho - this little 2 year old has hit the major mess making phase. It's a good thing I'm well prepared for it having been through it 4 times already ;)

Just yesterday she squeezed toothpaste all over the floor, and dumped half a bottle of shampoo in her lap all in the span of 30 minutes!

She's fast.

This'll pass tho. The other kids don't dump things anymore - well with the exception of the scientist of the house that is ;) He goes through fairly large quantities of baking soda and vinegar.....

OK - scratch that - the scientist has just snuck his way into the kitchen sink for an impromtu sink bath. One of these days the boy will get stuck in there!

They grow tho.

These things do pass.

Easier to get perspective I think when one has both a teenager and a 2 year old in the house at once.

The years really do fly by.

Snapshot

Piggy-wigs

We have wee baby pigs again :) I'm in awe of how quickly this year has flown by - it seems like just last month that we were getting our first baby piglets :)

I like this shot - pigs are a bit hard to photograph in a way that shows their size - I think they look wee here :)

My oldest has named one of them Karma - she says because it looks like it could have once been a wolf - funny girl.

Don't you love how they just lined themselves up for a perfect butt shot ?

A

And again for a side shot - I mean are they smart or what?

In a few short weeks there will be 100 wee chicks to take cute photos of - well and water and feed and clean up after, and and and...

thinking

I've been so lost in my thoughts lately. I keep coming here to get them out and I just can't quite seem to find the words. So much is happening - I think I'm just feeling a bit shy about sharing - it's all so huge!

This video by Gordon Neufeld and all of his parenting videos and book.

This book - about so much more than ADD...

combined with these kids = One very inspired mama :)

This Moment

a friday ritual (inspired by soulemama). a single photo capturing a moment from the week. a simple, special, extraordinary moment. a moment to pause, savor and remember. if you're inspired to do the same, share a link to your 'moment' in the comments!

Work in Progress Wednesday

I've been "working" on this sock for months now. I'm knitting my first ever pair of socks with my first ever knitting group :) Admittedly we often don't even pick up the needles which is why I've not finished this first sock. I don't care a bit tho :) I just love knowing that that one night a week is mine. That I will be off to chat with these lovely ladies and maybe just maybe knit a few rows - it's the highlight of my week :) I've been pretty immersed on mothering for 15 years now - It's been a long stretch of not doing anything outside the house that was only for me. I don't regret being with my little ones even a tiny little bit, but it sure is lovely now that the youngest is older, to start getting back to myself a bit more. As I'm writing this it just occurred to me how symbolic this sock is of me stepping out in the world again after nesting for so long :) Maybe that's why it doesn't matter to me so much that I'm not progressing fast with this project - I'm just savoring this time. There's no need to rush - I've got the rest of my life and my children aren't going to be young much longer.

Berries and a Butterfly

I found this sweet butterfly princess flitting around the house today....

The beginnings of a raspberry patch...

and a blueberry patch in the making....

Lemon balm poking up....

Happy baby snow pea plants.

That belly!